I thought I would share this with everyone as I have been meaning to for quite some time. It was written by an athlete at Cornell College in Iowa, (not sure when), but paints a pretty good picture of what most everyone here experienced.... enjoy:
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Why We Play Division III Athletics
It's not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making SportsCenter. It's a deep need in us that comes from the heart. We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat. We do it all for our teammates and for the student in our calculus class that we don't even know. We don't practice with a future major league first baseman; we practice with a future sports agent. We don't lift weights with a future Olympic wrestler; we lift with a future doctor. We don't run with a future Wimdeldon champion; we run with a future CEO. It's a bigger part of us that our friends and family can understand. Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans, sometimes 25. But we still play hard. You cheer for us because you know us. You know more than just our names. Like all of you, we are students first. We don't sign autographs. But we do sign graduate school applications, MCAT exams and student body petitions. When we miss a kick or strike out, we don't let down and entire state. We only let down our teammates, coaches and fans. But the hurt is still the same. We train hard, lift, throw, run, kick, tackle, shoot, dribble and lift some more, and in the morning we go to class. And in that class we are nothing more than students. It's about pride in ourselves, in our school. It's about our love and passion for the game. And when it's over, when we talk off of that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are for real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. We will forever be what very few can claim... college athletes.
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I hope you enjoyed.
***************************************************************************
Why We Play Division III Athletics
It's not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making SportsCenter. It's a deep need in us that comes from the heart. We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat. We do it all for our teammates and for the student in our calculus class that we don't even know. We don't practice with a future major league first baseman; we practice with a future sports agent. We don't lift weights with a future Olympic wrestler; we lift with a future doctor. We don't run with a future Wimdeldon champion; we run with a future CEO. It's a bigger part of us that our friends and family can understand. Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans, sometimes 25. But we still play hard. You cheer for us because you know us. You know more than just our names. Like all of you, we are students first. We don't sign autographs. But we do sign graduate school applications, MCAT exams and student body petitions. When we miss a kick or strike out, we don't let down and entire state. We only let down our teammates, coaches and fans. But the hurt is still the same. We train hard, lift, throw, run, kick, tackle, shoot, dribble and lift some more, and in the morning we go to class. And in that class we are nothing more than students. It's about pride in ourselves, in our school. It's about our love and passion for the game. And when it's over, when we talk off of that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are for real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. We will forever be what very few can claim... college athletes.
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I hope you enjoyed.
